It was disconcerting to me that she was so quick to begin developing a friendship, especially with someone she basically knew nothing about. As opposed to my instincts, which were to keep to myself. I sighed inwardly. Perhaps it was all the years I had so few people willing to be friendly towards me.
Regardless, it was time to start opening up, even if only to help me get through the Training. River’s and Eden’s words about the importance of conversing with the other trainees and learning about their Societies echoed in my head.
But as soon as I pushed open the heavy door and stepped into my room, all other thoughts vanished.
The first thing I noticed was the wood. Wooden floor. Wooden desk and chair. Wooden four poster bed. And a delicately carved wooden armoire. Next to it stood a full-sized mirror, oval in shape, with a flowered border carved along its golden wood edges. On the far side was another door leading to what I assumed was the bathroom.
And the colors. Rich, warm colors. Olive green paper covered the walls, small golden leaves stamped along its surface. Copper-colored curtains lined either side of the window. A soft braided rug of varying shades of brown, from lightest toffee to darkest chocolate, sat at the foot of the bed.
For the first time since I’d left Earth Society, I felt a small sense of relief. Because no matter what happened outside these four walls, I could come back here and feel like I was home, the design so similar to my bedroom at home.
Walking over to the bed, I noticed there was a quilt on this one too. But unlike mine, it had no signs of wear. Large blocks of solid pink, white, and lightest green were seamed together, every so often interspersed with a square of hand-sewn flowers, swirls of stitching covering the entire thing.
Moving over to the window, I drew one of the silky copper curtains aside, staring out. Just as I’d seen out the doors in the entry hall, a large field lay in the distance. But here I could also see that the sky was a dismal gray and the wind blew swiftly, shaking the nearly bare trees in the distance. Everything looked gloomy.
The armoire door hung slightly ajar and I could see clothing hanging inside. Curious, I walked over and gingerly opened it. Filling the shelves were dozens of outfits, ranging in all shades of gray, from lightest pearl to deepest black. Tank tops, long-sleeved shirts, sweats, pants, and shorts. On the lower shelves were several pairs of shoes, both black running shoes and black leather boots. I opened the two drawers at the bottom of the armoire. More gray and black. No colors at all.
So, we would all be dressed exactly alike now. I knew they would be providing us clothing but didn’t expect this. What was the point of it? To try and unite us together? Or was it a way of erasing our individuality? Something told me the latter was more likely.
Shedding my dirty dress, I quickly changed into a soft gray shirt and pair of black leggings. The clothes were soft and comfortable, but unlike what I was used to. After heading to the sink in the bathroom and splashing some cool water on my face, I returned to my bedroom. A moment later my stomach growled.
Everyone would be starting to head down for dinner. Slipping on the pair of black running shoes, I headed to the door, taking a deep breath as I grasped the chipped bronze knob in my hand.
Here we go.
Chapter 8
The cafeteria wasn’t very large, but there were more than enough tables inside. Looking around, I searched for a familiar face, but neither Rowan nor Ivy had arrived yet. Stepping up to the counter, my eyes widened at the spread of food. Never before did I have so many choices. Grabbing a tray, I loaded it with buttered peas with pearl onions, sugared carrots, and warm chicken, along with a piece of crusty bread.
Turning back, I scanned the room, but still didn’t see Rowan. Peering eyes from nearby tables glanced at me, the owners pausing their meals to watch as I continued to stand there uncertainly. Lowering my head, I hurried towards the back of the room, taking a seat at a still empty table.
I picked up my fork, but after a moment of staring down at the plate, just started to flick the carrots on it around. My appetite was suddenly gone, that feeling of isolation, of loneliness that I was so accustomed to, taking its place. Lowering the utensil back down, I gazed around the room
It was decorated much the same as the rest of the rooms here, gray stone walls and floor, bright fluorescent lights illuminating the dozen or so scattered tables. I looked from one to the next, surreptitiously studying the trainees surrounding me.
And ended up looking right into a pair of cobalt eyes.
There he was. Staring at me again. The guy from Fire Society.
But as he continued to look at me, his face stoic, his gaze unwavering, to my surprise the slightest hint of bewilderment passed across it. His hand moved slowly down to the chain encircling his neck, hesitating there. Staring back, I waited for him to break his gaze.
And continued to wait. And wait.
He wouldn’t looking away. Why?
Suddenly, a tray plopped down in front of me, blocking him from view.
“Hi Sage!” Aurora sat down in front of me. She still wore her feathery white dress. I supposed the prospect of changing into the nondescript clothing the rest of us wore wasn’t something she wanted to face just yet.
“Oh, hi,” I replied, surprised, but at the same time relieved to no longer have that pair of blue eyes focused on me. “How are you doing?”
“Fine. Just trying to get settled in that room they assigned to me. It is just so dark and dingy.” She shuddered, shaking her head as she dug into the pile of mashed potatoes on her tray.
I considered her words. Dark and dingy. To me, the room was close to the one I had at home. Just how different were our Societies from one another?
But as we entered into a slow easy conversation, I noticed Aurora glancing around, as if looking for someone. She tossed her head, twisting around, and her long strawberry blonde hair fell over her shoulder, the ends dangling dangerously close to the gravy topping her potatoes. But before I could warn her, she popped up and began waving towards the cafeteria entrance.
“Cirrus! We’re over here!”
I followed her gaze to see two trainees standing by the door. As soon as she called out, they began moving towards us. I’d seen one of them standing near Aurora while we were in the training arena, but didn’t recognize the other.
“Sage, this is Cirrus, my boyfriend from Air, and Finn, from the Society of Water. We met Finn during that initial tour Eden took us on,” Aurora explained easily.
I studied the two people in front of me. Cirrus was tall and lanky, his nose just a little too large for his face. His red hair was cut short and freckles dotted his pale skin. The other, Finn, was just as tall, but more solid. Jet black curly hair covered his head. He looked at me with dark eyes, set deeply in his face. Inked symbols, in midnight-blue and black, ran down his mahogany forearms.
Both of them already wore the gray and black clothing.
“Hello,” I said, placing my hand in Finns’ outstretched one. “Nice to meet the both of you.” Then a thought occurred to me. “Hold on -- Aurora, did you say boyfriend?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Well…it’s just luck, I suppose. You both happened to turn seventeen in the same three-month period and came here together?”
She looked up at Cirrus and they shared a grin.
“It wasn’t really luck. We grew up best friends. Our mothers are friends and were pregnant at the same time; they helped each other through it. Cirrus and I have been together from the time we were infants. Eventually we just decided that being friends wasn’t enough.” Aurora squeezed his hand, then turned back to me.
“Oh,” I paused, trying to come up with a response. “That’s just, well, um…” My voice faded off as I realized I didn’t know quite what to say.
They both started to laugh.
I could feel my face flush. “No, sorry, I mean… I’m happy for the both of you. It’s nice to see how a friendship was able to develop into something more.”
<
br /> “Well, thank you,” chuckled Cirrus and sat down next to Aurora, while Finn took the seat beside me.
I picked up my knife and fork and began to slice away at the piece of baked chicken on my plate. Somehow my appetite had returned.
“So,” Finn’s voice sounded over the clatter of utensils. “You’re from Earth Society, right? What’s it like there?”
I paused, my fork in midair. What was Earth Society like? The question was difficult to answer. Did I explain what an outsider would see if they were able to step foot there? Or did I answer truthfully, including how restricted my life was. I wondered if it was only Earth Society, or if the other Societies were like that as well.
“Well, we have the main Meeting Hall and the school. They’re located in the center of the town along with the infirmary. Then there is the Distribution Center. And on the opposite end of the Society is where livestock is raised and where the fields are.”
“The fields?” Aurora quirked a brow.
I nodded towards her. “The crop fields. Where all the produce is grown and harvested. As a matter of fact,” I said, pointing my fork at the carrots and potatoes on our plates, “it’s where everything we are eating now was probably grown.”
Cirrus frowned, a suspicious look coming over his face. “Who works the fields?”
“Everyone,” I answered simply.
The three of them stared at each other. “Everyone?” questioned Aurora. “Even the children?”
“Well, no,” I amended. “Children go to school until the age of fifteen. Once that birthday comes, most begin to work in the fields. Of course, there are exceptions. Mothers can stay home with their babies until they are old enough to attend school. Those of old age are given less demanding work, like planting the seeds, or raising animals. But that is really it.”
“What about the people who run the Distribution Center?”
What was she getting at? “The moderators? Actually, I don’t really know. They aren’t from Earth Society, though. They come and work in their position, but eventually someone else replaces them. I don’t know where they come from originally. Nor where the guards in the fields came from.”
“It’s all the same then.”
I had no idea what she was talking about. “What’s the same?”
Aurora glanced around as if to make sure no one else was within hearing distance, then lowered her head closer to mine.
“Cirrus was talking to Finn and apparently it is the same thing in Water Society. Finn, tell her.”
Finn glanced back at her, nervously chewing on his lower lip. “Look Aurora, we don’t know that this means anything.”
“Just tell her what you told Cirrus. Let Sage decide what she thinks.”
Letting out a low sigh, Finn turned to face me. “It’s like this. In Water Society, at age fifteen, we start working on the boats, bringing in the daily catches. And in Air Society, from what Cirrus and Aurora say, they start working at the same age.”
“Weaving was what I did,” Aurora chimed in.
Finn rubbed a hand over his lower face, then held it there, cupping his chin in thought. “It must be similar in Fire Society as well.” He paused, glancing around once more to make sure no one was nearby, then leaned closer to us. “The rest is the same too. About the people working at the Distribution Center. The moderators, as you said, Sage. And the others who are at the places of work, the guards. They don’t stay forever.
Cirrus shook his head slowly. “We don’t know that they weren’t members of the Societies originally.”
“But then why wouldn’t we recognize them? If they’d ever been there before, someone would recognize them,” Aurora countered.
“I don’t know,” came the answer and everyone grew silent. I leaned back in my seat, pondering what they’d just told me. Just as Rowan strode in.
What had taken him so long to get here? He gazed around, his eyes finally landing on where I sat. Smiling, I raised my arm, starting to wave him over. He stared for a moment, an odd look passing across his face before giving me a weak smile and quick nod. But instead of coming over, he turned and wandered towards another table.
Okay. So that was strange. He’d obviously seen me. I stood slightly, trying to get a better look at the table he’d just sat down at. A reed thin boy next to him clapped a hand on his shoulder, while a girl across laughed at something Rowan had just said. Stunned, I lowered myself back into my chair.
Noticing my expression, Aurora shifted in her seat and followed my gaze across the room, right to him. “Isn’t that the guy you came here with from Earth Society?” she asked, still facing him. “Weren’t there only three of you in total?”
“Yes,” I murmured, still watching him as well.
“Hmmm.” She twisted back around.
Frowning, I lowered my gaze back to hers. “What?”
But instead of responding, she looked pointedly at Cirrus. He stared back for a moment, silently trying to figure out what she wanted. A moment later his eyes widened, understanding dawning.
“Oh, okay. Hey, Finn, let’s go bring up these trays.”
“What? I’m not finished yet.” Finn had taken it upon himself to pile his tray with enough food for two and while it was true he still had some left, the majority was already gone. Cirrus shot him a look, then indicated his head towards Aurora and me in a gesture that was anything but subtle. “Just come on,” he pushed.
Finn frowned, looking towards us finally, and I suppose it was the sharp snap of Aurora’s bright green eyes that got him moving. They both rose and, picking up our four trays, headed towards the back of the cafeteria.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Aurora leaned in towards me again. “What’s wrong?” she asked softly.
“I…I’m just surprised,” I murmured slowly, taking another glance at Rowan. Now he was laughing as well. Shaking my head, I turned back to face her. “I thought he would come sit over here when he saw me. Or at least come and introduce himself.”
She was quiet, thinking for a moment. “If I were you, I would go over there and make a scene about him not sitting with his girlfriend.” She paused, then qualified, “Well, maybe I wouldn’t make a scene. But I would want to.”
I blinked at her a few times, her words slowly piecing together in my head. “Wait a minute. Rowan and I aren’t like that.”
Surprise colored her face. “You mean the two of you aren’t together?”
“No, we’re just friends. We’ve been best friends for a long time.” A thought crossed my mind and I saw a sly look appear on her face. “No, no, it’s not like you and Cirrus either. We are just friends. Always have been. I’m just surprised he didn’t come over to sit with us. That’s all.”
“Well, maybe he isn’t as good a friend as you thought,” she concluded bluntly.
I opened my mouth to retaliate, but nothing came out. Because what she just uttered was the same cruel thought that had started echoing in my mind moments before when Rowan walked away from me. I knew I was wrong and it was ridiculous to think so, but I couldn’t fight the gnawing feeling that our friendship was going to change by coming here.
✽✽✽
That night, I perched at the edge of my bed, twisting the ring my mother gave me between my fingers. The way she’d spoken today was just so unlike her usual self. She’d obviously been trying to tell me something, but I didn’t understand what.
Sighing, I pulled the ring through one of the thin leather ties I usually used to pull back my hair and secured it tightly around my ankle. Hiding it just as she’d instructed.
Getting under the soft quilt and fleece blankets, I gazed out the window. Light streamed in brightly now from the full moon and basked the room in an eerie gray glow. The dark branches of the trees swayed in the wind. I’d changed into a gray tank top and sweat pants from the armoire, but nothing felt familiar. Even with the black wool sweater I wore that day lying across me, I still felt cold.
It was hard to believe that very
morning I’d been celebrating my birthday with my family, and now I was here, in different clothes, in a different bed, surrounded by people I’d never met before.
Pulling the quilt up over my shoulders, I shifted over onto my side. Fear clenched my stomach, bubbling inside me, and I drew my knees up to my chest.
Sleep seemed impossible, but eventually I succumbed to it.
Chapter 9
The next morning, I woke to the blaring screech of an alarm. It echoed throughout the room as I shot up, gazing around in a panic, searching for the source.
There was nothing to turn off.
A moment later the incessant noise stopped, the air now filled with River’s voice. It came through the ceiling, the walls. A sound system they had rigged here. No wonder I couldn’t find a way to stop it.
“Get dressed and eat breakfast. You are to be in the training arena within half an hour,” his voice boomed at me. A short pause, then the ominous warning, “Do not be late.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. Jumping out of the bed and dressing quickly in a black fitted shirt and pants, I made my way down to the cafeteria for breakfast. And as I turned a corner, my eyes fell on Rowan.
“Hey,” I called down the hall at his back, trying to grab his attention. “Rowan!”
Was it my imagination or did he stiffen at the sound of my voice? He turned around, waiting for me to catch up. “Sage,” he greeted me, but there was something different there, the normal lightheartedness of his voice missing, a hardened edge now cutting through. “What’s up?”
“What’s up?” I repeated, frowning now. “What’s up with you? Why didn’t you come over last night at dinner? And who are those people you were sitting with?”
“Just friends I’ve made,” he said evasively, then seeing my expression added, “One of the guys was assigned the room right next to mine. He introduced me to the others, that’s all.” His gaze narrowed for a moment as he shoved back the stray blonde hairs that had fallen across his face. “You seemed to have made your own friends as well.”
Awakening Earth and Fire: Earth and Fire Trilogy Book 1 Page 6
